After the Fact

Stat: 47 percent: The percentage decline of newsroom employees at newspapers between 2008 and 2018. Story: Newspapers are cutting staff or closing altogether, but in the final episode of our local news series we visit The Berkshire Eagle in western Massachusetts, which is bucking that trend. We speak to the publisher and editor who are adding reporters and to community leaders who value a local paper in their civic life.

Stat: 2000: More than 2,000 of the 3,143 counties in the United States have no daily local newspaper. Story: What is a news desert? We explore the definition—a community with limited access to credible and comprehensive news and information—by traveling to southeast Georgia where the Waycross Journal-Herald abruptly closed in September 2019. We also interview expert Penny Abernathy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who has documented the spread of news deserts across the United States.

Stat: 71: The percentage of Americans who believe that their local news outlet is doing well financially. Story: Local news outlets are struggling against declines in circulation and advertising, with 2,100 newspapers closing over the past 15 years. In the first installment of our three-part series on the changing landscape of local news in America, we hear from experts on what's changed and how it may be affecting our communities.

Story: In this series, we explore the decline in local news coverage across America. Host Dan LeDuc interviews journalism experts, travels to a "news desert" where the daily newspaper recently printed its last edition, and visits the newsroom of a paper that is bucking the trend and doubling down on its investment in community coverage.

Stat: 800 million: The number of people in the world who live within the footprint, 62 miles, of a volcano. Story: In the latest episode in our "Scientists at Work" series, we go behind the scenes at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, where we meet geologist and volcanologist Ben Andrews, who works to answer three key questions about volcanoes around the world: When will an eruption happen, how big could the eruption be, and how fast?

Stat: 22.73: Ken Burns' documentary Civil War was created from 22.73 miles of film. Story: Ken Burns is known for his expansive documentaries on American history and culture. With 33 documentary films to his name, what is the secret to his creative process? We travel to the New Hampshire barn where he works for a conversation about how he tells old stories in a new way and what inspires him to create.

Stat: 59 percent: The percentage of Americans who say they have little to no confidence in the public's political wisdom. Story: As the new year—and an election year—begins, we turn to data on our democracy to learn more about how Americans view institutions and civic life today. Host Dan LeDuc speaks with Michael Dimock, president of the Pew Research Center, about the latest research on trust, facts, and democracy in America.

Story: "After the Fact" is sharing one more fan favorite before the end of the year with Paula Marincola, executive director of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage. She selected an episode with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and 1999 Pew arts fellow Jennifer Higdon on how ideas become reality. Since that conversation, Jennifer has again been nominated for a Grammy Award. Host Dan LeDuc also speaks with Paula about the importance of the arts today.

Story: "After the Fact" is sharing a couple more fan favorites as we close out 2019. This week, Ray Suarez, guest host of our "Future of Learning" series and a former broadcaster, selected an episode (No. 46) that focuses on how location can affect an individual's economic prospects.

Stat: 68 million: The number of Americans who say they have no religious affiliation as of , compared with 39 million in 2009. Story: This episode focuses on Americans' views of religion and the generational changes that are taking place. Greg Smith of the Pew Research Center shares an update on the changing religious landscape, and host Dan LeDuc talks to a mother and daughter about their evolving religious paths.